Join us from October 16-18, 2015!

The annual Texas Tribune Festival is an innovative and engaging three-day event for people who are passionate about the issues that affect all Texans. Each year, the Festival brings together some of the biggest names in politics to explore the state's and nation's most pressing issues.

This year’s event will feature more than 50 sessions in distinct programming tracks including public and higher education, immigration, health care, transportation, energy, the environment, criminal justice, and government transparency — all on The University of Texas at Austin campus.

Updates

Special Talent Announcement

July 28, 2015, 12:30 p.m.

We’re excited to announce new nationally known speakers who will join us at The Texas Tribune Festival in October. This year’s fifth-anniversary Festival is going to be our biggest and best yet, and you won’t want to miss out!

New speakers include:

Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Leader, D-Calif.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

Former U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.

Campbell Brown, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Seventy Four

John H. Sununu, former Governor of New Hampshire and former White House Chief of Staff

Piper Kerman, author and criminal justice reform advocate

These speakers will be joining a growing list of big names, including political commentators Paul Begala, Matthew Dowd and Mark McKinnon; former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison; The New York Times’ Amy Chozick; The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza; Gwen Ifill, co-anchor and managing editor of PBS Newshour; former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros; and U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess, Joaquin Castro, Henry Cuellar, Blake Farenthold, Bill Flores, Will Hurd, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Beto O’Rourke, John Ratcliffe, Lamar Smith and Marc Veasey.

Register today for only $200 before the price goes up on Friday, Aug. 7. Special discounts are also available for current Tribune members, as well as students and educators.

New Talent Announced!

July 24, 2015, 9 a.m.

We’re proud to announce more additions to the Tribune Festival lineup. This year’s program is set to be the best yet, so register now to get the early-bird rate of only $200! The registration price will go up Aug. 6 at 11:59pm.

Hotel rooms are selling fast. Get yours now! The Texas Tribune Festival has contracted blocks of guest rooms for registered Festival attendees at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, the Hampton Inn & Suites Austin at the University/Capitol and the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Austin. A limited number of rooms are available at these special rates. We encourage you to book your hotel when you register because hotels are likely to sell out.

Exciting New Speakers Confirmed

July 10, 2015, 9 a.m.

The list of speakers for the upcoming Texas Tribune Festival only continues to grow! We’re proud to announce the most recent additions to the Festival lineup.

New speakers include:

Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston

John H. Sununu, former Governor of New Hampshire and former White House Chief of Staff

And stay on the lookout for even more speaker announcements coming soon!

MORE SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED!

June 26, 2015, 8:50 a.m.

We’re excited to announce another round of speakers confirmed to appear at The Texas Tribune Festival in October. You won’t want to miss this great event! Register now for only $200. Special discounts are available for current Tribune members, as well as students and educators.

New speakers include:

Henry Cisneros, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

More New Speakers Confirmed!

June 14, 2015, 5:10 p.m.

We’ve just confirmed another group of speakers to appear at the Tribune Festival in October. They will be joining our current roster of over 150 politicians, newsmakers, thought leaders and public servants. We’re expecting to confirm many more before Festival weekend!

When you register, consider purchasing your ticket for the Thursday night feast at Franklin Barbecue, featuring political commentators Mark McKinnon, Matthew Dowd and Paul Begala in a lively discussion about the upcoming presidential election. Hurry as this intimate event, supported by The Monument Group, is almost sold out.

Interested in experiencing more of the Festival? Volunteering is a great way to get an insider experience and to attend for free! Our volunteers make the Festival possible, helping to manage daytime programming, documenting the event through photography and video, and overseeing our special events. In addition to a free badge, Festival volunteers receive a special commemorative gift for their participation in making the fifth annual event our strongest yet.

More Exciting Speakers Announced!

We’re proud to announce the most recent additions to the Festival line-up. Register now to get the best rate of only $200!

New speakers include:

- Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas

- William McRaven, Chancellor of the University of Texas System

- Cheryl Johnson, Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

- Danny Anderson, President of Trinity University

- John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas State Climatologist

Coming in from out of town? The Texas Tribune Festival has contracted blocks of guest rooms for registered Festival attendees at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, the Hampton Inn & Suites Austin at the University/Capital, and DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Austin. A limited number of rooms are available at these special rates. We encourage you to book your hotel when you register because hotels are very likely to sell out.

These rooms can only be reserved through the TribFest Housing Desk after you have registered for the conference. Email [email protected] with questions.

They'll be joining a list of more than 125 confirmed speakers — and we expect more than 250 speakers total. Highlights so far include House Speaker Joe Straus; Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar; Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick; Gwen Ifill, co-anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour; U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro; political commentator Paul Begala; Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp; University of Texas at Austin President Gregory Fenves; Rice University President David Leebron; Corpus Christi Mayor Nelda Martinez; Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams; and Laura Huffman, state director of the Nature Conservancy of Texas.

Register Now!

May 21, 2015, 8:01 a.m.

The registration desk is now open and we’re proud to announce the first 100+ confirmed speakers. (Another 100 or so will be added between now and Festival weekend.)

Don’t miss out on the special Thursday night feast at Franklin Barbecue, featuring political commentators Mark McKinnon, Matthew Dowd and Paul Begala in a lively discussion about the upcoming presidential election with Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith. An extra $250 ticket is required for the event, which includes all-you-can-eat barbecue and beer. Purchase your ticket when you register for the Festival.

2015 speakers include:

Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin

Hugh Akin, Texas Ethics Commissioner

Elsa Alcala, Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

State Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, Chairwoman of the House Urban Affairs Committee

State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas

State Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, Chairman of the House Public Education Committee

Guy Bailey, President of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Dan Balz, Chief Correspondent, The Washington Post

Paul Begala, political commentator

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston

State Rep. César Blanco, D-El Paso

David Brown, Host of KUT-FM’s Texas Standard

Bech Bruun, Member, Texas Water Development Board

U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville

State Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville

State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-San Antonio, Chairwoman of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Military Installations Committee

State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio

Amy Chozick, National Political Reporter, The New York Times

Jim Clancy, Texas Ethics Commissioner

State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, Chairman of the House County Affairs Committee

Gregg Cox, Travis County Assistant District Attorney and Director of the Public Integrity Unit

Christi Craddick, Texas Railroad Commissioner

State Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, Chairwoman of the House Public Health Committee

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo

State Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, Chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee

State Rep. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place

Dick DeGuerin, Attorney

Deirdre Delisi, former chairwoman of the Texas Transportation Commission

State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, Chairman of the House Higher Education Committee

- As of May 27, 2015

Thank You - Tribune Festival 2014!

Sept. 30, 2014, 11:57 a.m.

A Look Back to 2014: Keynotes

Sept. 30, 2014, 11:57 a.m.

You can now watch videos from all of the keynote sessions, including interviews with U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn; Gov. Rick Perry; state Sens. Wendy Davis, Dan Patrick and Leticia Van de Putte; Speaker of the House Joe Straus; Land Commissioner nominee George P. Bush; a panel discussion with former U.S. Sens. Bill Bradley and Kay Bailey Hutchison, former U.S. Ambs. Jon Huntsman and Ron Kirk and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and a roundtable conversation with Politico's Maggie Haberman, MSNBC's Chris Hayes, The Washington Post's Nia-Malika Henderson, The New York Times' Jonathan Martin and Slate's Dave Weigel.